


a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils

by ALK7



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, You've Got Mail (1998)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Non-Chronological, You've Got Mail AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-18 09:28:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29856039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ALK7/pseuds/ALK7
Summary: Friends online and enemies in person. A series of encounters will change the lives of Hermione Granger and James Potter in unpredictable ways, answering the question: How thin really is the line between love and hate?
Relationships: Hermione Granger/James Potter
Comments: 6
Kudos: 28





	a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils

**Author's Note:**

> I've been plagued by ideas for a Jamione You've Got Mail AU and this is the result. For those of you reading my other Jamione WIP, Out of Time, I'll be updating that soon but this was interrupting my thought process. I'm hoping to alternate updates between the two.

**_“there is not a cruel or careless bone in his body. But I wouldn't expect you to understand anybody like that. You with your theme park, multi-level, homogenize-the-world mochaccino land. You've deluded yourself into thinking that you're some sort of benefactor, bringing books to the masses. But no one will ever remember you, Joe Fox. And maybe no one will remember me, either, but plenty of people remember my mother, and they think she was fine, and they think her store was something special. You are nothing but a suit!”_ **

James Potter has never been more nervous in his entire life than he is now. Which isn’t exactly a stand-out statement when taken at face value. But he simply doesn’t. get. nervous.

Fear hadn’t struck him for any of the written, oral, standard, you name it, exams in his school years, trusting the fancy - and ridiculously expensive - tutors his parents had always provided to get him whipped into shape. It didn’t hurt that he had a quick mind and seemed to pick up new concepts fairly quickly. 

He’d not been nervous when holding his baby brother, Harry, for the first time - at twenty years old, it’d been a surprise to find out exactly how _ahem_ his parents passed the time when he was at college - because the little guy was the most adorable thing he’d ever seen and he was way too excited to finally have his Christmas wish from age 5 come true. 

Apprehension hadn’t plagued him when he asked his college girlfriend if he could move in with her - an act of rebellion on his part, feeling like a spoiled brat still living off the good will of his rich parents. The irony of the situation didn’t strike him until _after_ their breakup - nor when he asked his current girlfriend, Lily to move in with him. Although it hadn’t been done as an outright invitation on his part, more of a ‘why waste time travelling back and forth between our apartments/let’s save some money’ conversation. 

But he is nervous now, tonight. Nervous and every other synonym he could think of - and he could come up with many of them, again thanks to the high-level academic mentors he’d dealt with over the years - timorous, high-strung, trepidatious, uneasy, etc. 

He can feel the sweat pooling on his palms as he follows after his best friends toward the coffee-shop that will change his life.

Perhaps that’s too much pressure to put on the poor, unassuming cafe. It’s more that the person _inside_ will rock his world. The woman he’s going to meet for the very first time. 

Sweet, lovely, _beautiful_ what’s-her-name.

“I’m just saying, James. What if she’s an absolute _dog?_ What’ll you do then?” Sirius questions him seriously when they stop just outside of their, _his,_ destination.

A quaint little eatery that, even though he’d never actually visited before, happened to be directly in the middle of his commute to work from home. Finding out that she, most likely, lived in the same Upper West Side neighborhood as him was thrilling.

Remus speaks up before James can, “Sirius, _you’re_ the dog. They’re meeting here as friends. James isn’t exactly going to fall into bed with this girl when Lily is already occupying it.”

“Why not?” Sirius’ grin is so salacious that James can’t help but snort, rolling his eyes at his crass friend.

“That’s right. We’re just two pals meeting up for a coffee. Nothing untoward will be happening in that cafe if I can help it.”

“Oh yeah? Then why do you look so sexy right now?”

Remus chokes out a disgusted, “Sirius” just as James replies, “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were jealous of this coffee date _.”_

“So you admit it’s a date!”

“God, you idiot, of course it isn’t! How can I go on a date with someone I’ve never met before?”

“That’s literally the point of a date.”

“James,” Remus starts, disapprovingly, “shouldn’t the reason that this isn’t a date be that you have a girlfriend?”

“That too.” He agrees quickly. His friend doesn’t look impressed. The other guy, more butthead than friend, continues on.

“I’m just saying you seem sexier than normal. And that’s coming from a very straight, very secure man who can admit that his two best mates are knock-outs and damn good in bed.”

“That’s too much man, come on.” 

“We were roommates in college! I heard things! I know you both give just as good, well not _as_ good as I do, but still.”   
  


“He might be on to something James.” Remus takes a step closer and tilts his head toward James, breathing him in.

“About us in bed? What’s up with you guys tonight?” James sputters.

“No, no. You’ve got cologne on,” the accusatory look on Remus’ face causes his own to flush. Sirius is unbearably triumphant at that revelation.

“I knew it! Bless you, you goddamn bloodhound!”

James does his best to rectify the matter, “I always wear some cologne to go to work” but they are not having it. Sirius is doubled over, howling in amusement and Remus is no better, although he, at least, is trying to muffle his laughter as he pats James on the back.

“The last time you smelled so strongly of cologne was when you were trying to charm Sirius’ Aunt Bella into giving you a beer at his 18th birthday party.” That statement quickly turns Sirius’ chortles into exaggerated gagging noises. 

“I’m just trying to cover up the smell of a long day at work. It means nothing.” His last weak protest falls on deaf ears.

“Whatever man, live in denial if you want,” Sirius brushes off, “now are you going in or what?”

“Well-” he breaks off, before spitting out, “I was hoping you guys could look in first and tell me what she looks like.”

The glee on Sirius’ face cancels out the seriousness on Remus’.

“James, if you’re going to start something with this girl, you need to end things with Lily _first._ ”

“I swear I’m not going for _that._ But-” he sighs, “this girl gets me and I want to meet her. Maybe eventually introduce her to you guys too. I think she’d be a good friend to all of us.”

“Just as long as she doesn’t steal my spot as ‘best man’ at your wedding, I’ve already got to contend with Remus for that title.” Sirius jokes before bounding up the two stairs to get to the restaurant’s front door. James elects to ignore Remus’ quiet, “I don’t think that’s exactly the position she’d be in contention for”.

“What are we looking for? Besides some girl reeking of desperation and cat litter?”

“She said she’d have a book with her. With a rose sticking out of it. A red one.”

The two men roll their eyes at James in unison, Sirius throwing out a, “and you’re still trying to feed us that ‘this is platonic’ shit?”

Remus calls out, “I see a book” He presses his face against the door, trying to get a better look.

“Me too! But the damn waiter is blocking her face.”

James clenches and unclenches his fists in distress, until one of his friends lets out a low whistle, the other a shocked, “ _damn_ ”.

“What? What is it? What’s wrong?” He’s about to run up the steps himself if they don’t fucking tell him something.

“She’s _hot.”_ James snorts at Sirius’ eloquence before looking to Remus, a plea in his eyes.

“She’s gorgeous, James. _Stunning,_ even.” 

“Yes! I knew she would be! I _knew_ it.” He can’t contain his excitement, restless energy finally being released as he grabs on to the railing and gives it a good shake.

“She just-” Remus cuts himself off and looks helplessly at Sirius.

Uh oh.

“I’m not sure how to say this-”

“You think Hermione Granger is attractive, right?”

His two buddies talking at the same time confuses him before he says, “Yeah, she’s beautiful and so what? What does that witch have to do with this girl?”

Another look shared between the two other men causes anxiety to build up in James again.

“Because if you don’t like Hermione Granger, you won’t like the woman waiting inside for you.”

“She _is_ Hermione Granger.”

\---------------------------------

He’s not sure why he’s walking into the cafe. 

Maybe he had to really check, be completely sure that the woman he’d been so sure was becoming his best friend was actually his sworn enemy. 

It’s not that he hated Hermione Granger. And she definitely was _not_ unattractive.

But there was the small matter of his family’s business putting her out of business. It hadn’t happened yet but it was heading in that direction. Just a few more months and she’d have no use for those beautiful business cards - butterflies flitting around on the edges, her name and contact information for her store in sophisticated calligraphy - perched near the cash register of her inherited little bookstore. It wouldn’t even be a bookstore once her ruin was complete and final. Maybe a Trader Joe’s.

He had told his friends that he was going home. Alone. Didn’t want to deal with Sirius’ suddenly - and ironically - serious words and Remus’ disapproving frown.

He didn’t realize that he’d simply walked around the block just to end up back in the same spot, staring at Hermione.

She _was_ beautiful. Breath-taking. A guy would have to be blind not to notice her striking features - golden skin, dark curly hair that looked soft and inviting, and a smile that started off in one corner, slowly pulling up until the rest of her mouth couldn’t help but follow it’s lead. 

He hated her.

_Sigh._

No, that wasn’t true. He didn’t hate her, just the situation they were stuck in.

But she did. Hate him, that is. For good reason too.

He sighs again for what feels like the hundredth time in a span of a couple minutes.

_‘What am I supposed to do? March over there and tell her it’s me she’s been waiting for?’_

His legs actually start heading in that direction, body making the decision before his brain can fully comprehend, and she glances up.

She shrinks down in her seat, breaking eye contact as soon as it was established. The horror is plain on her face and in her body language. His heart drops.

_‘Absolutely hates me. No doubt about it. Time to leave.’_

But his body has already transported itself to her table. There’s no way she doesn’t notice his hovering. He takes a peek at the book she’s trying to shove her face into in her attempt to hide from him, _Pride and Prejudice,_ her favorite. He knows this because he knows her. At least, he knows her online persona. He might even love-

“Hermione Granger,” his brain has thankfully caught off that mortifying thought before it could fully develop. Her hand shoots up in greeting even as her head stays facing down, a clear dismissal. Only an idiot would refuse to see it as anything but a _‘get out of here, you punk’_. 

James Potter is an idiot.

An idiot about to get punched in the face and kicked in the shin if the look of anger on her face as he takes the seat opposite her is anything to go by.

“You can’t sit there! I’m waiting for someone!” 

“Are you sure he’s still coming? It’s pretty late.”

“Of course he’s coming. And how do you know it’s a he-” she breaks off that sentence to start another, “Look, whatever, but you need to leave.”

“I know it’s a he, Granger,” he answers, “because that is a red rose. Pretty romantic. What I can’t figure out is why your boyfriend would be so late. As stiff as he was, Malfoy didn’t strike me as the type to keep his lady waiting alone all night.”

“ _Crimson_ and it’s absolutely none of your business but Draco is on a business trip this week.”

His eyebrows shoot up at that as a shocked smile grows on his face. “You’re meeting your secret lover, Granger? In public?”  
  


“I’m meeting a _friend._ Of course that would be the first thought your pea-sized brain would come up with. Unlike you, I don’t demand affirmation from others to feel better about myself. I go to sleep every night feeling content and happy, knowing that I tried my hardest to be good and kind to people, tried to make something worthwhile in this world full of nonsense and white noise. But you,” she lets out a derisive laugh, “I don’t know how you can even look in the mirror. You, with your careless regard for everyone beside yourself. _You_ make me _sick.”_

Shame fills his body, pure and unadulterated. Bile rises up in his throat as he stares into her hate-filled eyes.

_‘Well how’d you expect that to go?’_ He hadn’t expected to be the hurt party when she finally mastered the ability of saying exactly what she wants, to exactly the right person. He kind of hates himself now for encouraging that in her.

Swallowing hard before jerking his chair back and standing up on, surprisingly, shaky legs, he says, “that’s my cue.” A stiff nod followed by a terse, “good night, Hermione” and he is out of there.

Just as he’s about to walk out of the cafe - and her life too, maybe even the goddamn country at this rate - he spares one last glance at her. And regrets it instantly.

Hermione Granger is staring at his untouched place setting. Quiet tears are falling down her red cheeks and she looks utterly shame-faced.

It should make him happy to see her so broken and upset after slamming him with that zinger but it doesn’t. All it serves to do is make him hate himself even more. 

He wishes he could go back in time - to when they’d first met - and start over. Harry and his friend, Ron, had wanted to go into her cute little bookstore the instant they’d seen the dragon display in the window. Like an imbecile, he’d walked straight into the creature’s lair, the first step taken towards destruction. If he could reverse time, he’d tell himself to bypass that place. Ignore her smiling face and keep on walking.

Since time travel has not been invented yet - or at least not shared with the general public yet, who really knows what’s possible these days - he finally listens to himself.

He ignores her and keeps right on walking. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think if you have the time. :)


End file.
